Power wheel



June 16, 1931. s, TURNER 1,809,919

POWER WHEEL Filed July 31, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P013597 .5. TURNER dual/mg June 1931. R. s. TURNER 1,809,919-

POWER WHEEL Filed July 51, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

MW Wm Patented June 16, 1931 ROZBER'I S. TURNER, OF INDIANAPOLIS,;INDIANA rowan WHEEL Application filed July 31,

This invention relates to power'wheels of that class adapted to be operated by either air or running water and the prime feature of this invention is the provision of pro- 5 pelling blades arranged in companion pairs with oneof the blades of each pair arranged to turn broad side to the air or stream of water to receive driving power and the other blade of the same pair turn edgewise to the blast of air or stream of water so as to present the least resistance. 1 j

A further feature of the invention is the provision of means for mounting the pairs of blades whereby the force of the airor vl5 stream of water will automatically change p p "which are attached any suitable number of the positions of the blades. .A further feature of the inventionis in so constructing the wheel structure that any suitable number of the pairs of bladesmay be incorporated into a single unit.

A further feature of the invention isthe provision of means for maintaining the power structure edgewise to the wind current.

A further feature of the invention is in so mounting the powerwheels, that any suitable number of the wheels may be employed for driving a single element. 7

Other objects and advantages Wlll be hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed 3d out in the accompanying specification.

In the accompanying drawings which are made'a part of this application, 5 'Figure l is a side elevation of a set of power wheels showing one manner of applying the same to use.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail edge elevation of one of the power wheels applied to use.

Figure 3 is an enlarged face elevation of." the hub structure of one of the power wheels,-

and,

Figure 4 is as seen along line et-4, Flg. 3.

Referring to thev drawings in which simi-- lar reference numerals designate correspond.

ing parts throughout the several-views, the,

numeral 1 designates a tower structure, such as is commonly used for elevating'air operated power wheels a distance above the. ground surface so as to obtain a better and more direct air current.

'te-ria l may -be-used preferably by means of a sectional view therethroughf 1930. Serial No. 472,0 5.

Rotata'bly mounted at the upper end of the tower structure 1 is a housing 2, into which extends a driving shaft 3, said housingbeing pivotallymountedso that it may be readily rotated to keep the power wheels 4: into the ,wind; The power wheels 4 are mounted on shafts 5, which are preferably at right angles to the main driving shaft 3 and when two of theshafts 5 are incorporated with the 'main driving shaft 3,an-y'suitable difierential gear mechanism (not shown) is mounted in the dome portion 6, of the housing 2 and a'daptedto cooperate with and drive the shaft 3,"when the power wheels are driven.

Each 'power wheel comprises a hub '7, to

-spaced discs 8 an'd'to said discs are pivotally or hingedlyatt'ac'hed cross arms 19,'-prefera-- bly of angle iron, although any suitable ma- 9 hinges '10 which are so attached to the disc and'arm th'at the arms may have oscillatory movement,lone angle of the arm limiting the swinging action ,of the arm in one direction,

While the other angle li mits ithe swinging action of thearmin the opposite direction. Attachedto the ends of the cross arms 9, are blades 11;- onei-of which'is substantially in line with one angle member of the cross 7 arm and {the-other blade in line with the opposed angle member of the arm so that the flat faces of the'blades w-ill be approximamiy V at right-angles'to eachother, whereby, when ,one'of the bladesis turned broad-side'to the arr or :water current for receiving the force of -such current, the opposite blade will'be *turned edgewis'e to such current so that'the latter blade will move through the air or ofthe discs 8j'may be incorporated into a single hub portion, but in the present instancea pair'of'the discs are shown with each W hub portion,'flwitha crossarm 9 attached co each disc, one cross arm being at a phasedifa ferencejo'f substantially one half the diameter. of the disc from'the other arm.- Associated withthehousing 2 is a vane or rudder 1-2, which serves 'to ;consta'n ly-ma1nta1n the water without .se t grp y material re- 7 *sistance; L i p i r p i Asiprleviousliy Stated; any suitable number power wheel in position to receive the force of the air current, said vane maintaining the power wheel 4 edge wise to the air current, when operated by air.

When the power wheel is driven by a current of water, the wheel is so located that the blades will position horizontally with respect to the surface of the body of water, the operation of the blades 11 being the same as when operated by air currents.

Owing to the fact that any number of power wheels may be attached to a single shaft, the power creating proficiency thereof is greatly enhanced and as all resistance is eliminated from the blades on their return stroke, the power wheel may be efliciently opcrated with a lighter air or water current.

It will likewise be seen that owing to the great simplicity of this device it may be constructed at a minimum expense and with but few wearing parts so that the life of the device will be unlimited.

Vhat I claim is:

1. In a power wheel, a hub structure comrisin a luralit of s DZLCGd discs a cross arm hinged to each disc and with its ends extending a distance beyond the peripheral edge of the disc and adapted to swing to different positions, each cross arm having flat faces adapted to limit the hinging movement of said arm by contacting with the face of the disc, a blade at each end of each cross arm, the blade at one end of each cross arm being at i right angles to the blade at the opposite end thereof, whereby when one flat face of the cross arm is in engagement with the face of the disc one of the blades of each cross arm will be faced fiatwise to the propelling current and the other edgewise thereto.

2. In a power wheel, a hub structure comprising a rotatably mounted disc, a cross arm having flat faces and having its ends projecting a distance beyond the peripheral edges of the disc, a hinge connecting said arm to the face of said disc in a manner to cause the flat faces of the arm to limit the hinging action of said arm by contacting with the face of the disc, and a blade at each end of said arm, said blades being arranged at right angles to each other, whereby when one of said blades is faced flatwise to the propelling current the other blade will be edgewise thereto.

3. In a power wheel, a hub structure comprising a flat faced disc, a cross arm right angular in cross section, a hinge for connecting said arm to the face of said disc in a manner to cause the flat faces of said arm to engage the face of the disc and limit the hinging movement of said arm, and a blade along each end portion of said arm one of which will rest edgewise to the propelling current when the other is faced flatwise to the current.

4. In a power wheel, a hub structure comprising a plurality of spaced discs, a cross arm for each disc right angular in cross section,

a hinge connecting each cross arm to each disc so that the flat faces of the arms will enmy hand.

ROBERT S. TURNER. 

